Flood — Ogemaw, Michigan

2020-05-18 to 2020-05-20 · near Prescott, Ogemaw, Michigan

Event narrative

Widespread areal flooding developed in central and southern Ogemaw County on the 18th. Many creeks and rivers rose out of their banks, including the Rifle River system. Many roads across the county were closed. The Prescott area was especially hard hit, with some property damage due to flooding.

Wider weather episode

A very slow moving low pressure system advanced east from the central Plains. Unusually deep moisture was pushed northward into the Great Lakes region, ahead of this low. Multiple rounds of heavy rain fell in parts of northern lower Michigan on the 17th and 18th. This heavy rain targeted east central and northeast lower Michigan in particular. Rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches were common by the morning of the 18th in places like Tawas City, Houghton Lake, Omer, and West Branch. Further heavy rain continued, and by the morning of the 19th rainfall amounts were 8.10 in Au Gres, 7.43 in East Tawas, 7.20 in Sterling, and 7.60 near National City. Generalized flooding was widespread and considerable in that part of lower Michigan. In some spots, flooding impacts lasted for days. Runoff from this very heavy rain resulted in the catastrophic failure of Edenville Dam on the Tittabawassee River.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (44.1617, -83.8840)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 897168. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.